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(Nomaden) W. MCELROY. Method of and Apparatus for Casting Metals.

m md@ INVENTDR;

Patented March 8,1881.

ATTEST (No Model.)

Method of and Apparatus for Casting Metals. No. 238,515. Patented March8,1881n DIM Fig. 4-

N.PETF.RS, PHOTO-LITHDGRAPMER. WASHINGTON D C 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Nrrn STATES ATENT ENCE WILLIAM MGELROY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOROF TWO-THIRDS TO THOMAS MCELROY AND YMATTHEW MCELROY, OF SAME PLACE.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CASTING METALS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 238,515, dated March 8,1881.

Application filed October 4, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM McELRoY, acitizen of the United States, residing in Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New V York, have invented certain Improvements inMethods of and Apparatus for Casting Metals, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates, in part, to a method of casting continuousarticles-such as piping,

1o rods, moldings, Stefrom fluid molten metals through the medium of acylinder or holder, a piston to force the molten metal through a mold ordie, and the said mold or die.

My invention is intended for molding any metal which is solid atordinary temperatures, as steel, iron, brass, and the softer metals, andis adapted to produce rods, pipes, moldings, or plates of almost anylength, but having a uniform sectional contour.

I am aware that it is not new to force molten metal into molds andthrough dies to form both small articles and articles of continuouslengths, as pipes, Sto. I am also aware that pipes and other continuousarticles are formed by pressing soft non-molten metal through dies; andI am further aware that forcing apparatus consisting of a cylindcrandpiston has been employed in producing castings by these methods.

My invention consists in the specific features hereinafter set forth andclaimed.

In carrying out `my invention the apparatus will7 of necessity, vary insome respects, according to the article to be cast-as, for example, thedies will be varied to suit the form of the articleand where hollowarticles (as tubes or pipes) are to be casta core will be required, asin making lead pipe in the ordinary way. In castin g most articles,especially those 4o of considerable weight, I employ a water-jacket overor forming a part of the mold or die, While for very thin or lightarticles this may be dispensed with.

In the drawings,which serve to illustrate my invention, Figure l is alongitudinal vertical mid-section of my apparatus arranged for castinglarge tubes. Fig. 2 is a partial end view of the cylinder, being asection taken on the line x .fr in Fig.,1. Fig. 3 is an elevation 5o ofthe clamping guide-rolls, being a' section (No model.)

taken on the line y y, Fig. 1, looking to the right; and Fig. et is anelevation ofthe cylinder, water-jacket, and die, being a section takenon the line y y, Fig. 1, looking to the left. Fig. 5 is a detail view,showing the guide 55 for the core arranged in the head of the cylinder;and Fig. Si is a detached view ofthe same. Figs. 6 and 7 are end viewsof die-s for making moldings and plates; and Figs. S and 9 aremodieations, which will be more particularly 6o referred to hereinafter.

Let .A represent a cylinder or holder for the molten metal, providedwith a heating-chain- 'ber, B, wherein may be burned gas, oil, or

other combustibles. This device is employed to keep the metal hot. Thecylinder and its heating-chamber are preferably mounted on ways a a, onwhich it may be moved longitudinally when desired.

O is a piston, which lits into the cylinder A, 7o and to this piston iscoupled a screw, D, arranged in the prolonged axis of the cylinder, andhaving a nut, b, and bearingc,both mounted on a bed, E. To enable thescrew to draw back the piston as well as advance it, I prefer to employthe simple device shown in Fig. l, which consists of a boss on thepiston arranged to enter a socket in the end of the screw, and one ormore set-screws arranged to pass through the shell ot' said socket and8o enter a groove in the boss, as clearly shown. The bed E is pivotedyto the base or bed plate F by means of a pintle or stud, d, and may beprovided with a trackyroller or wheel, e. This construction enables theoperative to turn the 8 5 screw around out of the way when it isunconpled from the piston.

Gr is the cylinder-head, H the die or mold, and I I the water-jacketaround the same. These several parts are shown as made in one 9o piece 5but each may be cast or made separately and then bolted together.

By reference to Fig. 4 it will be seen that the upper half` of the headand die and the jacket I are made in one piece and the lower half of thehead and die and the jacket I are in one piece, the two parts beingbolted together and the line of the joint being horizontal. Thisconstruction is important, as in most cases it will be necessary toseparate the 10o two parts after the casting is completed to remove theheel or chilled metal still attached to the casting and inside ofl thecylinder. Therefore I deem it best where a water-jacket is employed tomake it in two parts, as I and I', and supply them with separate inletand outlet water-pipes f j" and g g', respectively, as shown'. water Iprefer to admit the water close to the die and allow it to escape at adistance therefrom, as shown.

The ljacket I being bolted firmly to the bedplate F and the die and headbeing connected with the same, it will beseen that the said head ispractically a fixture, while the cylinder A is adapted to be movedlongitudinally to or from it, the attachment of the two being made bythe bolts h h. For convenience and facility of operation the bolts maybe hinged or pivoted in one of the parts, so as to be turned aside, thenut being employed to make the joint tight and hold the parts morefirmly together.

J is a hollow core, closed at its free end, and preferably rounded atits tip. The butt of this core is iixed to the piston, and it containsan inner tube, K, which is open at its free end, and also attached tothe piston. A water-inlet, t', connects through the piston with the rearend of the core, and a water-outlet, t', connects with the innertube, K.By means of this arrangement a circulation of cold water or other liquidmay be kept up through the core during the operation of casting, whendesired or when necessary. Where the castings are heavy the tip of thecore beyond the cylinder-head may be perforated, as shown, to give theinclosed water or other liquid access to the casting in the die, and thedie itself may be also perforated, to allow the water or other liquid inthe jackets I I to reach the casting. The core is guided in its passagethrough the head G by means of a gnide-ring,j, (best shown in Figs. 1,5, and 5%) which is made in segments and titted into a groove cored outaround the central openingin the head. This guide steadies the core, butpermits the molten metal to pass freely.

Referring to Figs. l and 3, 7c L are compression and guide rolls,arranged to play in a frame, L, and provided with adjusting-screws Z lat both top and bottom.

I plate, by preference, the inner face of the die and cylinder-head, thecylinder, and the core with platinum, to preserve them against theinjurious eii'ects ofthe heat from the inolten metal.

Having thus far described my apparatus as arranged for casting a pipe ortube, I will now describe its operations.

The screw D is uncoupled from the piston and turned aside on the pintled. rIhe piston is removed and its inner face washed with a mixture ofclay and plumbago, ifdesired. The cylinder and core are also, bypreference, coated in the same way, and the piston again inserted andthe screw I) coupled on. A sec- To get the full benefit ot' the cold thewater-jackets and the core, and the cylinl der heated by means of thecombustibles in the chamber B. All being now ready, the molten metal ispoured into the cylinder at the inlet m until the cylinder is nearlyfull, when the piston is run down upon it by means of the screw I), carebeing taken not to have the cylinder too full, or some portion of themetal may escape at the inlet 'm before the piston advances far enoughto close or cut off said opening. When the piston has advanced farenough to exert the required force upon the metal to insure the solidityof the casting, the rolls k 7.: may be slightly loosened until themolten metal will force the pipe M back, and then the piston may begradually forced down to the head G. By the time the end of the tubebeing cast reaches the outer end of the die it will be suiicientlychilled to be rigid, and by the time it reaches the rolls the section Mwill not be required, and may be removed. The rationale of this processis, that the molten metal in the cylinder, being in a hi ghly-heated andfluid condition, passes readily, under pressure, into the die, andtherein assumes the form of the same. As it passes on through the die itbecomes gradually cooled and yhardens until it issues at the other endas a iirm and solid casting. Being still hot, however, and liable tobend or warp, I employ the rolls 7c to serve both as a guide and check.Thisretardation tends to consolidate the metal and produce a bettercasting than that made in the usual way. rIhe slight shrinkage incooling allows the castingto pass freely through the dies. When thepiston has been driven home the casting is cut otf beyond the dies andthe heel removed by separating the npper and lower halves of the die andcylinderhead, the latter having been iirst detached from the cylinderand the cylinder moved out ofthe way.

When the dies and core, or either, are perforated to admit the water tothe casting, I prefer to force the water in under some pressure, when itserves as a lubricator as well as a refrigerant; or I may employ, inlieu of water, oil or oil mixed with plumbago or lampblack for thepurpose ot' lubrication.

In casting plates, rods, moldings, or other articles not of a tubularnature, the core J will, ot' course, be unnecessary.

In Figs. 6 and 7 respectively, I have shown dies for casting a plate anda moldin g of thin metal. In casting such articles the rolls k k and thesection M will, of course, be made to correspond. rIhese elements, asherein shown, are designed only for a pipe of a given size.

In casting very light articles from metals which melt at comparativelylowtemperatures no water-jacket may be needed over the die.

In Fig. 8 I have shown amodification of my IOO IOS

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apparatus in which the axis of the cylinder is arranged at an angle tothe axis of the die and the core is not attached to the piston. In thiscase I have also substituted leverfor screw power.

In Fig. 9 I have shown a means of casting rods or tubes of limitedlengths according to my process. In this construction the retardingmedium is a packed piston, N, which lits snugly in the die H.

In operating this device water or other liquid is forced into the die atthe inlet a until the piston N is driven up to thejunction of the diewith the head G, and then the ingress is cut off by means of the valveo. When the metalis forced into the die the piston N is forced back andthe iiuid behind it driven out through avalve-opening closed by a valve,p, whence it eventually escapes at the outlet q. lhe desired compressionon the metal of the casting is attained by means of a spring, r, behindthe valve, and by having an adjustable screw-plug, s, behind the spring.

I am aware that in molding small articles according to this method arefractory plug driven before the advancing column of molten metal hasbeen employed to retard its advance, and am also aware that an annularenlargement on the extremity of the advancing core has also beenemployed for the same purpose. Neither of these, however, is susceptibleof being regulated. The plug may stick or may suddenly give way, whilethe core must advance as fast as the piston and the metal, and can exertno regulated retarding force., as in my device. Where a sinking head isemployed in lieu of a piston the effect is the same. The pressure willvary with the head and fall with it.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. The methodof castingarticles herein de scribed,which consists in forcing molten metalthrough an open-ended die against a regulated yielding resistance,whereby the metal of the casting may be consolidated to the properextent, substantially as set forth.

v2. A mechanism forcasting articles from molten metals, consisting of aforcing mechanism, an open-ended die connected therewith, through whichthe metal may be forced continuously, and a means for resisting the toorapid ilow of the metal through the die, consisting of a piece of metalor other refractory material which fits the opening in the die, theouter or free end of which is clasped between griping-rolls, allcombined and arranged substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a cylinder to contain the molten metal, a pistonand forcing mechanism to force it out, a water-jacket connected withsaid die, rolls k k, arranged to be adjusted to and from each other, anda retarding-piece, M, to be grasped by the roller k, all arrangedsubstantially as set forth.

4. A mechanism for casting tubes or pipes from molten metal, providedwith a metal-forcing mechanism, a tubular die, and a hollow corearranged to be traversed by a current of water, whereby it may be keptcool, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the cylinder, piston, and die, of the tubularcore J, the inner tube, K, the inlet z', and outlet i', all arrangedsubstantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the cylinder, of the cylinder-head and die,made in halves and adapted to be separated for the removal of thecasting therefrom, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of the cylinderA, mounted on ways and arranged to bemoved on same longitudinally,with the head G, made in halves andattached to the cylinder by bolts h h, and fixed to the die, the die H,made in two parts and xed to the head Gr, the bed-plate F, thewater-jacket I', fixed to the bed-plate and to the die, and the jacketI, mounted on the upper half of the. die, all arranged substantially asset forth.

8. The bed E, mounted on the pintle d, and provided with a track-wheel,e, and bearings for the screw, in combination with the screw D, thecylinder A, and the piston C, all arranged substantially as set forth.

9. The combination, with'a perforated die, of a water-jacket arranged tocover the perforations in said die, whereby the water or other liquidfrom the jacket may penetrate tothe casting in the die, substantially asand for the purposes set forth.

l0. The combination, with the forcing mechanism and the die, of thetubular core J, arranged to receive water at its butt and provided withperforations in its tip, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

11. The combination of theforcing-screw and piston, the cylinder A, therefrigerator-core J, the head G, the guidej, the die H, the waterjacketsI I', the frame L, the rolls lc 7c, and the screws l l, all arrangedsubstantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM MGELROY. Witnesses:

HENRY GONNETT, ARTHUR G. FRASER.

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